(19)
(11) EP 0 651 374 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
06.09.1995 Bulletin 1995/36

(43) Date of publication A2:
03.05.1995 Bulletin 1995/18

(21) Application number: 94307844.4

(22) Date of filing: 25.10.1994
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)6: G11B 5/39, G11B 5/31
(84) Designated Contracting States:
DE FR GB

(30) Priority: 01.11.1993 US 146255

(71) Applicant: Hewlett-Packard Company
Palo Alto, California 94304 (US)

(72) Inventors:
  • Hesterman, Victor W.
    Los Altos Hills, California 94022 (US)
  • Bhattacharyya, Manoj K.
    Sunnyvale, California 94087 (US)

(74) Representative: Williams, John Francis et al
WILLIAMS, POWELL & ASSOCIATES 34 Tavistock Street
London WC2E 7PB
London WC2E 7PB (GB)


(56) References cited: : 
   
       


    (54) A planar magnetoresistive head


    (57) A magnetic head (100) is provided with a yoke (102) and a gap structure (150) coupled to a substrate (101) that is positioned above a magnetic medium (152). The gap structure (150) includes one or more lips (154A, 154B), a first (156A) and a second (156B) ferromagnetic pole, and a magnetoresistive element (162). The magnetoresistive element (162) is removed from the air-bearing surface of the magnetic head (100). For the embodiment with two lips, the two lips define a head gap (164). Each ferromagnetic pole (156A) is connected to one lip (154A). The two poles (156A, 156B) are separated by a distance greater than the length of the gap (166), and each pole has a thickness that is greater than the thickness of each lip. The MRE (162) is substantially coupled magnetically, but not electrically to the two poles at a location where the two poles are separated by a distance greater than the length of the gap (166).






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